Hour 67 Ayurveda – Food Staples III

Butter Curd and Buttermilk

1. Butter (Navaneeta)

• Taste & Potency:
  • Sweet taste, cold potency.
  • Light (when salted) and heavy (freshly prepared butter).
  • Nourishing, grounding, and provides strength and stability to the body.
  • Sweet vipaka (post-digestive effect).
• Qualities and Benefits:
  • Increases Ojas and vitality.
  • Pacifies Vata and Pitta doshas; increases Kapha dosha.
  • Good for heart, vision, skin diseases, bleeding disorders (e.g., menstrual bleeding, piles).
  • Effective in malabsorption conditions, strengthens the intestine and stomach, and heals ulcers.
  • Beneficial for the voice, cough, and rejuvenation.
• Usage of Butter:
  • For excess heat & bleeding piles:
    • Mix 5 grams of butter with 5 grams of jaggery or rock sugar; take on an empty stomach.
  • For dry cough & hoarseness of voice:
    • Mix equal parts of butter and honey; lick the mixture.
  • For cracked lips, mouth ulcers, scalds, or dry skin:
    • Apply butter topically.
  • For glowing skin (pregnant women):
    • Dissolve a pinch of saffron in ½ teaspoon of butter and consume daily.

2. Curd (Dadhi) & Buttermilk (Takra) in Ayurveda

Curd (Dadhi):

• Taste & Potency:
  • Sour taste, sour post-digestive effect, heavy, hot potency, and constipating.
• Effect on Doshas:
  • Pacifies Vata, increases Pitta and Kapha doshas.
  • Diminishes Agni and blocks channels.
• Usage Guidelines:
  • Not suitable after heating or at night.
  • Should not be consumed during Pitta imbalances (summer, autumn) or Kapha dominance (spring).
  • Best consumed with ghee, rock salt, green gram soup, sugar, or honey.
  • Can lead to skin diseases, jaundice, anemia, dizziness if consumed improperly.

How to Make Curd at Home

Making curd is a simple process that involves fermenting milk with live beneficial bacteria. Here’s how to do it:

Ingredients

• Milk (whole milk works best for a creamier curd)
• Curd (a small amount of curd saved at home the previous day) Or if you are preparing for the first time you can curdle the milk by adding lemon juice and use curdled milk to prepare curd.

Equipment

• Saucepan
• Clean container with a lid
• Spoon or whisk

Steps

1. Heat the Milk
   Pour the desired amount of milk into a saucepan and heat it over medium flame until it boils. Stir occasionally to avoid burning.
2. Cool the Milk
   Let the milk cool down to room temperature or until it’s warm enough to touch comfortably.
3. Add the Starter
   Add 1–2 tablespoons of curd to the cooled milk and mix well to ensure even distribution.
4. Incubate
   Transfer the mixture into a clean container, cover it, and keep it undisturbed in a warm spot for 6–8 hours.
5. Check the Curd
   Once set, the curd will have a thick, creamy texture and will pull away slightly from the container’s edges when tilted.
6. Save Starter for Next Batch
   Reserve a small portion of the homemade curd as a starter for your next batch.

Buttermilk (Takra):

• Taste & Potency:
  • Astringent and sour taste, hot potency, light, easy to digest.
  • Kindles Agni, clears the channels.
• Effect on Doshas:
  • Pacifies all three doshas, especially Kapha and Vata.
  • More beneficial compared to curd for digestion and balance in doshas.
• Usage Guidelines:
  • Can be consumed even with imbalances of all three doshas.
  • Ideal for people with Kapha imbalances, obesity, or weak digestion.
  • Can be consumed with mild heating and spices (asafoetida, cumin, curry leaves) for better absorption.

Differences Between Curd and Buttermilk:

• Curd:
  • Blocks circulation channels and aggravates Pitta and Kapha in certain seasons.
  • Improves digestion only in people with good Agni.
• Buttermilk:
  • Cleanses channels, improves digestion, and strengthens the body.
  • Ideal for people with Pitta or Kapha imbalances.
  • Suitable for obesity, piles, and malabsorption issues.

Types of Buttermilk

Without Cream (Fat-free Buttermilk):

• Best for Kapha issues, and beneficial for obese individuals.
• To be avoided in summer, for weak individuals, or during Pitta imbalances.
• Should be consumed after meals.

Preparation of Skimmed / fat-free Buttermilk (Takra) as per Ayurveda

Ingredients

• Fresh curd (Dadhi)
• Water (water : curd – 4 :1 ratio)

Equipment

• A churner (Mathani) or a whisk
• A large bowl for churning

Steps to Prepare Skimmed Buttermilk:

1. Take fresh, thick curd in a bowl.
2. Add 4 parts water to 1 part curd (for example, if you use 1 cup of curd, add 4 cups of water).
3. Churn the mixture thoroughly using a Mathani or a whisk. During the churning process, the fat separates from the liquid.
4. Skim off the floating fat or cream layer using a spoon.
5. The remaining liquid is light, tangy, and easy to digest. This is skimmed buttermilk or Takra.

Ayurvedic Seasoning Suggestions for Skimmed Buttermilk

To enhance its therapeutic properties, Takra can be seasoned with the following:

• Rock salt (Saindhava Lavana): Aids digestion and balances all three Doshas.
• Roasted cumin powder (Jeera): Stimulates digestion and reduces bloating.
• Grated ginger (Adraka): Enhances appetite and digestive fire (Agni).
• Coriander leaves (Dhania): Provides a cooling effect and pacifies Pitta.

Therapeutic Importance of Skimmed Buttermilk in Ayurveda

• Skimmed buttermilk (Takra) is Laghu (light), Deepana (digestive stimulant), and Kapha-Vata Shamaka (pacifies Kapha and Vata doshas).
• It is especially beneficial for:
  • Obesity and Kapha-related disorders.
  • Indigestion, bloating, and low digestive fire.
  • Pitta imbalances when taken with cooling herbs like coriander.

By following the precise ratio and adding therapeutic seasonings, Takra becomes a potent and versatile remedy in Ayurvedic practice

Full Cream Buttermilk:

• Cooling and nourishing, best for fatigue and lean body types.
• Can be consumed to calm Vata and Pitta.

Preparation of Full-Fat Buttermilk (Takra) as per Ayurveda

Ingredients

• Fresh curd (Dadhi)

Equipment

• A churner (Mathani) or a whisk
• A bowl for churning

Steps to Prepare Full-Fat Buttermilk:

1. Take fresh, thick curd in a bowl.
2. Do not add any water to the curd.
3. Churn the curd thoroughly using a Mathani (traditional churner) or a whisk. During this process, the curd becomes smooth and creamy but retains its full fat.
4. The result is a rich and thick full-fat buttermilk, which is heavier and nourishing in nature.

Ayurvedic Seasoning Suggestions for Full-Fat Buttermilk

To enhance its taste and therapeutic properties, full-fat buttermilk can be seasoned with:

• Rock salt (Saindhava Lavana): Improves digestion and balances Doshas.
• Roasted cumin powder (Jeera): Aids digestion.
• Grated ginger (Adraka): Improves appetite.

Therapeutic Importance of Full-Fat Buttermilk in Ayurveda

• Full-fat buttermilk is Guru (heavy) and nourishing (Brimhana), making it suitable for individuals with high Vata or Pitta imbalances.
• It provides strength, supports tissue building (Dhatu Poshana), and increases Ojas (vital energy).
• It is recommended for:
  • Weakness and emaciation (Kshaya).
  • Dryness caused by excessive Vata.
  • Conditions requiring nourishment (Good Agni but depletion of dhatus).

3. Remedies and Uses of Curd & Buttermilk:

• Curd with Rice:
  • Arrests loose stools.
• Buttermilk for Intestinal Health:
  • Mix 100 ml of buttermilk with ½ teaspoon curry leaf powder and a pinch of rock salt; beneficial for piles and improving digestion.
• Buttermilk for Appetite & Digestion:
  • Mix 100 ml of buttermilk with 3 grams of long pepper and 1 teaspoon of honey; helpful for loss of appetite, indigestion, and diarrhea.

Conclusion:

• Proper use of milk products can offer numerous benefits for health, but they must be consumed mindfully, considering individual constitution (Prakriti) and imbalances in doshas.
• Even a potent substance like a herb or milk product can act as either medicine or poison based on its correct usage.